Diving board



April 6,1926. W. 5. BROWN .DIVING BOARD Filed August 24 1925 INVENTOR WdTfiPa/V/v BY ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 6, 1926.

' UNITED STATES WALTER STERRY BROWN, OF URBANA, ILLINOIS.

DIVING BOARD.

Application filed August 24, 1925. Serial No. 52,235.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, vVAL'rnn STERRY BROWN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Urbana, in the county of Champaign and State of Illinois, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Diving Boards, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in diving boards, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a diving board of the character described 1 in which that portion of the board behind the fulcrum flexes so as to lend a high degree of resiliency thereto without undue strain at that portion above the fulcrum. It should be noted at the present time that the ordinary type of spring board which flexes in front of the fulcrum and between the fulcrum and the diver frequently breaks at a point immediately over the fulcrum. My improved diving board entirely elimininates this disadvantage.

A further object of my invention is to provide a diving board of the character described which possesses a higher degree of resiliency and which imparts a greater force through a shorter distance to the diver than the ordinary type of diving board which overhangs the fulcrum for the major portion of the board.

A further object of my invention is to provide a diving board of the character described which may be constructed of uniform width and thickness throughout, without sacrificing the desired degree of resiliency. 7

A further object of my invention is to provide a diving board of the character described in which an adjustable fulcrum of .novel construction is employed.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device illustrated in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the adjustable fulcrum, and

Figure 1 is an end view of a part of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 3.

In carrying out my invention I make use of a supporting surface 1, such as a pier, a tank wall or the line. My diving board consists of five wooden twoby-fours 2 placed parallel with one another and at a short distance apart and substantially fourteen and one-half feet in length. These two-byfours are secured to one another by cleats 3 disposed transverse to the members 2.

The rearward end 4: of the board is secured by bolts 5 to the pier 1.

The fulcrum of my improved diving board is not secured in any way to the board and is disposed as shown in Figure 1 at a little less than one-third of the distance from the front of the board. This fulcrum consists of two elements 6 and 7, respectively. The element 6, which is the fulcrum proper, has a curved upper surface 8 which is arranged for engagement with the under wall of the diving board. The element 6 has a reduced angular portion 9 at the base thereof having teeth 10 on the opposite end walls thereof. The element 7 has a groove 11 extending longitudinally thereof from one end to the other provided with teeth 12 corresponding to the teeth 10 on the end walls of the portion 9 of the element 6. The element 7 is secured by lag screws 13 to the pier 1.

The element 6, by virtue of its toothed construction, may be engaged with the toothed groove 11 of the element 7 so as to prevent movement thereof longitudinally of the board, and the element 6 maybe advanced to the front or to the rear of the element 7 by lifting the fulcrum element out of engagement with the fixed element 7 and replacing it where desired. Thus, a varia tion equal to the length of the fixed element 7 of the fulcrum is attained.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. When a diver stands upon the outermost portion of the board, as shown in Figure 1, his weight and the forces exerted by the preliminary movements peculiar to diving will cause the portion A at the rear of the fulcrum to flex upwardly. This flexing of the board occurs throughout the entire portion A. The reaction of the flexing of the portion A causes a short forceful.upward movement of the out-;

ermost portion of the board. upon which the diver is positloned so as to augment his efforts in leaving the board. This short. and.

forceful impulse is more effective to proper and skillful diving than a sweeping slew. movement such as attributed to the ordinary type of diving board whichafiexes principally from the fulcrum to the point upon which the diver" stands.

The possibility of breaking-or cracking. of. the board over the fulcrum is entirely. obviated due to thedistribution: of. the forces aszdescribed.

If it is'desired to adjust the: fulcrum element. 6 so as to accommodate the-board; to

persons of various weights (nd for. various types of diving, the board is lifted slightly an'dLthe element 6 moved forwardly or? rear.- wardly with respect to the element 7 in the manner described.

I claim: 1 I

1. A divingj board. of the character described comprising an elongated resilient member arranged for anchorage at one end to a supporting surface, a: stationaryinember. arranged for anchorage to SitilCl supportin urface and tiona-ry member secured to said? supportingsurfacev and: dlsoose-dbeneathathat, portion of; the elongated. member forward of the mid.

point thereof, said stationary member haiving a groove'extendmg longitudinally thereof,'the side walls of-xthe groove being. formed ofinwardly extending teeth, and. a remova ble fulcrum member having; a. curved upper surface for engagement with the elongated:

member, and: being provided on its; bottom with a-portion adapted to enter said groove, and with teeth arranged to mesh with the:

teeth of the stationary member.-

WALTER srnanr BROWN; 

